**FILE** In this Aug. 25, 2006 file photo, Philadelphia Eagles safety Brian Dawkins stands on the sidelines in the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Steelers during a preseason football game in Philadelphia. Seven-time Pro Bowl safety Brian Dawkins had a hard time not looking back Saturday after signing with the Denver Broncos following a 13-year run with the Philadelphia Eagles. (AP Photo/George Widman, file)

PHILADELPHIA — On a spiritualistic level Brian Dawkins and the late Jim Johnson were reunited Tuesday night.

Dawkins became the first recipient of the Jim Johnson Courage Award at the 51st Bert Bell Memorial Award Dinner.

Johnson was defensive coordinator of the Eagles from 1999-2009. Battered by cancer Johnson coached his last minicamp with the team from a scooter, walked to the podium for a news conference and addressed the defense, not his health issues.

Dawkins was his top player for most of that time, including his last game, the 2008 NFC title clash with the Arizona Cardinals.

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Also at the Bert Bell dinner Archie Manning, the father of Peyton and Eli Manning, got the Bert Bell Memorial Award. Dick Vermeil presented it.

The Dick Vermeil Award went to Ron Jaworski, the former Eagles quaterback and current ESPN analyst and president of the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.

The silver lining to the Eagles’ six-game slide slide is the NFL draft.

Right now the Eagles (3-7) would select sixth overall. They’re just a tiebreaker away from fifth and one loss from picking second.

A guy who would help, although he wouldn’t be the hot pick, is offensive tackle Luke Joeckel (6-6, 310) of Texas A & M. His stock is rising, though, so he might not be there at 6.

At the risk of alienating readers, the NFL released further evidence the Eagles should have traded up to draft Robert Griffin III.

Griffin’s 93.3 completion percentage against the Eagles Sunday was the highest for a quarterback with four touchdown passes since Steve Young in 1994. That’s Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young.

Griffin also was credited with this esoteric statistic: He’s the first player to throw at least three scoring passes of 60 or more yards and rush for a 60 or more yard TD in the same season.

Even the great Steve Young didn’t do that.

NOTES: The Eagles take on the Carolina Panthers (2-8) Monday night at Lincoln Financial Field. They’ve beaten the Panthers in three straight games and are 5-2 lifetime versus the 1995 expansion team. The Panthers have lost six games by six points or less. The Eagles have lost their last three games by at least 15 points … Eagles head coach Andy Reid is just three losses away from the century mark. Reid is 139-97-1 (.589) in 14 seasons with the Eagles, including the playoffs … Steve Smith has 41 100-yard receiving games for the Panthers. He needs a dozen yards to reach 11,000 receiving yards. The 33-year-old Smith is the oldest player on a roster averaging 26.1 years old … Must have missed this but tickets to the 2013 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl, slated for Jan. 27, are on sale at Ticketmaster or if you reside in Delaware County, with a $719 roundtrip flight to Honolulu and $41.92 roundtrip cab fare to the Aloha Stadium box office (all gratuities are extra).